Zhu Qingyu and her companions had dealt with mutant beasts on many occasions, so they immediately understood the meaning behind this roar.
It was clearly born of rage, a desperate need to vent.
What was more, these two One-Horned Giant Wolves had already been rampaging into towns and wreaking havoc on a frequent basis.
Now that one of them had been slain, the other—the stronger of the two—would certainly not let matters rest. It was bound to be even more ruthless than before.
Moreover, this time was different from the past.
The blue giant wolf king was summoning a beast tide, most likely with the intent to destroy a city.
"The closest inhabited place seems to be Qingyang City. There are hundreds of thousands of people there. The wolf king's beast tide is definitely aimed at Qingyang City," Senior Wu spoke up, deducing where the disaster would strike.
The towns before had already been practically laid to ruin, so this Beast King certainly had no interest in them. To vent its fury, it would undoubtedly head for somewhere with far more people.
It could not be helped; mutant beasts viewed humanity as their mortal enemy. Whenever their fury flared, towns and cities almost inevitably became their targets.
And Qingyang City was home to hundreds of thousands of citizens, making it a major city in the surrounding area.
"Qingyu, what should we do?" Qin Lan grew anxious as well. They had originally come to track the wolf king, never expecting to run into a crisis like this. With their abilities, resolving it was out of the question.
"We need to leave right away and contact Teacher Zhao," Zhu Qingyu replied with relative calm. "It will take some time to muster a beast tide. When the time comes, we'll find a way to evacuate the populace and wait for the teachers to arrive."
That blue giant wolf king was comparable to the Ninth Order of the Initial Realm, making it the strongest mutant beast in this region. Once it moved, the destruction it wrought would be utterly staggering, causing countless casualties.
Now, they had no other choice. They could only have the teachers rush over while doing what they could to mitigate losses.
"All right."
The others nodded.
This was the wisest choice. Several teachers from Zhendan Academy were not far from Qingyang City. If notified now, they would surely be able to arrive within a few hours. And as Awakened, even if they were not especially powerful, they could still do their part.
Without further hesitation, the group slipped away from the area and sped toward Qingyang City.
Yet as they hurried along, a single question lingered in Zhu Qingyu's mind.
Who had slain the red-furred One-Horned Giant Wolf? It was the king of this territory. And judging by the state of its carcass, it had not died in combat against another mutant beast, but had clearly been felled by a human.
Yet she had heard no word of any powerful Awakened appearing nearby recently. Even if there were one, that person ought to be rushing toward Chang'an at full speed to await the opening of the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum.
*Could it be...*
A figure suddenly surfaced in Zhu Qingyu's mind.
It was the young man they had encountered not long ago. In terms of timing, he seemed to be the only person who could have done it.
*No, impossible.*
Zhu Qingyu quickly shook her head. That man did not look strong; he couldn't even handle a First or Second Order mutant beast, so how could he possibly contend with a giant wolf king? She was surely overthinking things. Right now, the most pressing matter was reaching Qingyang City to spread word of the impending beast tide.
***
While Zhu Qingyu and her group were rushing along with all their might, another scene unfolded on a distant cliff.
Lu Yuan stood amidst the twilight, gazing into the distance.
Not far away lay a small city, composed mostly of buildings a dozen or so stories tall. Only the city center boasted taller structures. With night falling, lights flickered on, showing that quite a few people lived there.
"Qingyang City?" Lu Yuan murmured to himself as he looked upon the small city.
The five super cities were still under construction, and few people had migrated to them yet. Even knowing that danger lurked everywhere and attacks could strike at any time, ordinary people had little choice. Merely surviving was already hard enough. If they left the cities where their families had lived for generations, adjusting would be difficult even with government subsidies. As a result, the populations across most domestic cities remained largely unchanged for now. And precisely because of this, massive casualties would ensue down the road.
Without dwelling on it, Lu Yuan stepped forward and leaped straight off the hundred-meter cliff.
He had not come here seeking a populated city to rest. To the current Lu Yuan, surviving anywhere posed little danger. He had chosen to enter Qingyang City because he remembered that several remarkable mutant herbs grew here. Obtaining them would greatly aid his cultivation and evolution.
Upon entering the city, Lu Yuan kept a low profile and avoided contact with anyone.
*According to my memories from my past life, those mutant herbs grow in the eastern district. No one has discovered them yet, but it won't be long. I need to make haste.* He pondered as he advanced.
However, Lu Yuan did not take ordinary streets. Relying on his formidable physique, he leaped across the rooftops of the city. Early in the mutation, Awakened were still few and far between, and those that existed tended to gather in major cities. Consequently, his movements went entirely unnoticed.
Still, the area where the herbs grew was quite broad. Without an exact location, searching would take a significant amount of time.
Of course, Lu Yuan had an advantage.
Not only did he possess memories of his past life, but he also had a specialized method at his disposal.
Upon reaching the general vicinity, he stopped and retrieved the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace. With a light tap, the furnace expanded instantly until it was as tall as a man. Lu Yuan then produced the ancient manual left behind by Immortal Ge. After glancing through it briefly, he formed several unique hand seals—somewhat resembling those used in alchemy, yet distinctly different.
The power within his body stirred and began flowing into the furnace.
*Buzz—*
Once the sequence of gestures was complete, the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace trembled faintly and began to drift slowly toward a specific direction.
"Found it." Lu Yuan's eyes lit up, and he followed behind.
This was another function of the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace: within a limited radius, it could sense the general positions of certain spiritual fruits and mutant herbs. Put simply, it was an automated treasure finder.
However, it was limited to items nurtured by nature itself. At times it was not entirely precise, and its sensing range was quite narrow, making it useful only under specific conditions.
Case in point: after activating the furnace, Lu Yuan struck empty air more than a dozen times. It was only after more than half an hour that he finally discovered a small purple herb tucked away in a corner.
The herb bore three leaves, translucent and crystalline, giving off a faint shimmer in the darkness. Yet the glow was so faint that without careful observation, one would never notice it.
"The first one. Two more to go."
A smile crossed Lu Yuan's face.
Within Qingyang City grew three of these mutant herbs, known as Three-Leaf Purple Rhyme.
In his previous life, after adapting to the global mutation, he had sought out every possible means to attain extraordinary power. He had spent an immense amount of time learning to recognize various divine items. Because of that, Lu Yuan knew many things ordinary people did not. Returning via rebirth allowed him to devise optimal plans based on his circumstances.
He recognized the Three-Leaf Purple Rhyme immediately and knew its effects. If consumed by ordinary people, it could tremendously enhance their physical constitution. If taken in sufficient quantities, it could even set them on the path of evolution.
Indeed, not every spiritual fruit or mutant herb turned someone into an Awakened upon consumption. Some contained energy that was far too diluted, yielding minimal results. After all, divine items like the Ancient Bodhi Tree were one of a kind, unmatched even in the New Era following the mutation.
After harvesting it, he spent another hour locating the remaining two herbs.
Yet just as Lu Yuan prepared to leave, he noticed that the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace was still vibrating up and down. Rays of rosy light began radiating from its surface, as though it had sensed something else.
*Could there be... an even more potent spiritual fruit or mutant herb here?* Lu Yuan's interest was piqued. He had originally been content to call it a day, never anticipating an unexpected bonus.
Without hesitation, he continued searching the area. Most things were ordinary, with nothing out of the ordinary, until he searched carefully for another ten minutes and spotted a faint golden glint flickering not far away.
Lu Yuan approached at once.
The next moment, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
It was another small herb, virtually identical in shape and size to the Three-Leaf Purple Rhyme. But unlike the others, this plant was entirely golden and possessed nine leaves. Each leaf was nearly transparent, exuding an extraordinary aura.
"Nine-Leaf Golden Rhyme?"
Lu Yuan recognized it immediately.
This was no ordinary mutant herb; it was exceptionally rare. Belonging to the same species as the Three-Leaf Purple Rhyme, its effects were worlds apart. Rumor had it that only one Nine-Leaf Golden Rhyme would companion-grow out of ten thousand Three-Leaf Purple Rhymes. It contained a remarkably profound reservoir of energy, bordering on the realm of a true divine item.
If an ordinary person consumed it, they would awaken on the spot. Furthermore, it could cleanse the physical body, thoroughly purifying the bloodline and elevating one's latent talent!
"Not bad at all. This trip was definitely worth it."
Lu Yuan smiled and plucked it directly.
The energy contained within the Nine-Leaf Golden Rhyme was immense. Consuming it would certainly allow him to shatter multiple genetic shackles. However, he did not plan on eating it right away, as it would serve an even greater purpose in the near future.
He placed it into the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace for safekeeping.
This relic of the immortal was truly versatile—it automatically found treasures, brewed pills, and served as storage. In his past life, he had lacked the methods to use it, sitting on a wondrous treasure and letting it go to waste.
Shaking his head, Lu Yuan said nothing more and departed.
Shortly after, he found a secluded corner within the city and sat down cross-legged.
Assimilating spiritual fruits and mutant herbs required undivided concentration. Any disturbance would greatly diminish the effects.
Once prepared, Lu Yuan did not hesitate in the slightest. He swallowed all three mutant herbs straight into his stomach.
Refining them into pills with the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace might have yielded slightly better efficacy, but he chose not to bother. The reason was simple: Three-Leaf Purple Rhyme was not exceedingly precious, so whether it was refined into pills made little practical difference.
Of course, no one else would dare swallow three stalks at once like Lu Yuan. The energy contained within was violent and turbulent, making it difficult for ordinary Awakened to endure. One misstep could place an enormous burden on the body, or worse, permanently compromise their future path of evolution.
Lu Yuan, however, was different. His physique was exceptionally robust, and his internal organs had fused with the Eleven-Tier Pagoda, rendering his entire form virtually indestructible. The power contained within a mere few mutant herbs posed no threat to him whatsoever.
"This energy is quite good. Once it's fully refined, I can try breaking the fourth genetic shackle."
Feeling the surge of energy spreading through his abdomen, a smile touched Lu Yuan's eyes. He closed them and concentrated wholly on refining the power.
Chapter 38